Head and Neck Cancers

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Head and neck cancers are malignancies that arise in the nasal cavity, sinuses, lips, mouth, salivary glands, throat, or larynx. These cancers usually begin in the squamous cells that line the moist mucosal surfaces inside the head and neck such as in the mouth, nose, and throat.

Head and neck cancers account for approximately 4 percent of all cancers in the United States, or about 69,400 of the estimated 1.7 million new cancer cases expected in 2018, according to the National Cancer Institute. These cancers are nearly twice as common among men as they are among women.

Cancers of the head and neck are further categorized by the area of the head or neck in which they begin. Get more information on these various forms of head and neck cancers:

Alcohol and tobacco use are the two most important risk factors for head and neck cancers. Moreover, infection with cancer-causing types of human papillomavirus (HPV) is a risk factor for some types of head and neck cancers.